#Nanowrimo 2010: Day 18: Over 35,000 and here’s an extract

Hit the 35,000 mark so just 15,000 to go and 12 days to do it in. I think that it works out at 1250 words a day so… why am I looking at the average? I don’t think I’ve hit the average any day throughout this process, starting a day behind and rushing ahead and working to keep that headroom so I can have a night or two off (like tonight – delayed birthday dinner). Anyway, its a figure and as it decreases then the end is getting closer.

At the moment chapter count sits at 29 and all have some text in them. Sheila Gordon’s chapter was the most recent one completed and came completely out of left field. After an hour or so she is a very impatient woman with edges around being a control freak.

Here’s some of her chapter:

Sheila Gordon was running very late and blamed it on The Post Office. She had spent most of the morning waiting in line trying to post some letters and parcels which contained objects which she had recently sold via online auction. Of course it hadn’t been as simple as she had hoped; first trying to do the self weighing and postage but then finding that she still needed to queue to get a receipt as proof of postage and then queuing for almost an hour just to fill out a form themselves and then get it stamped by a young teller who seemed to be more interested in her various social network accounts via her phone.

No matter how much Sheila tutted and fussed however, the young woman continued to move at a snails pace with no sense of urgency.

After the Post Office, where she also realised she had under specified postage and packing costs for her online sales, she had to run to the chemists to get a prescription for Mrs Hanley from the Retirement Home where she worked. Unfortunately due to the wait at the Post Office she failed to catch the chemist before they closed shop for lunch.

Becoming even more frustrated she looked at her watch; knowing that there was still an hour and a quarter before the chemist would return and then working out the rest of her schedule she hoped that Rebecca would be open so that she could collect the costumes for the amateur dramatic society.

As she across the square towards the shop, she wondered why she had volunteered to pick them up in the first place. She was busy enough without the distraction, and still had to do most of her shift at the Retirement Home, which unfortunately included cleaning out the bedpans as it was her turn on the rota to do so. The thought caused her to stop and gag, after which she frantically looked around to ensure that no one else was around to see her. She continued on her journey and crossed the quiet street and down the stairs to Rebecca’s shop.

Luckily Rebecca often didn’t close for lunch, instead preferring to take a quick lunch at the counter before continuing with her rapidly increasing workload. After all, the shop was her life and she was always striving to provide the best and most comprehensive service to her local customers.

“Ah, Sheila,” Rebecca greeted with a smile. “How are you today?”

“Can’t chat Rebecca, sorry,” Sheila gasped. “Just got to pick up the costumes. Need to get back and get to the chemist. Damn, Post Office slacker has set me back hours.”

“Calm down Sheila,” Rebecca said soothingly as she climbed down from her stool and made her way into the back of the shop. “I’ll just be a few minutes.”

As Sheila waited for Rebecca to fetch the costumes she again found herself wondering why, with all of her other responsibilities and tasks that she had to do, she had agreed to pick up the amateur dramatic society costumes.

At the end of the day, Gregory could be very persuasive.

Sheila looked to the back of the shop and couldn’t see Rebecca. She wondered what was going on and what was taking her so long. She didn’t have the time to hang around any more; the chemist would be back within the hour and she remembered that she had to get some grocery shopping for Mr Hughes before he went for his physiotherapy or he wouldn’t be able to get his mid afternoon snack in time.

Where was she? Didn’t she know that she was in a rush? Hadn’t she heard her say she had a million things to do that day and the Post Office girl has caused her to be so far behind schedule that she really didn’t have time to get these costumes, which she shouldn’t have been getting in the first place? Didn’t she?

It was all getting to be too much for her.

“I can’t stand it Rebecca!” Sheila shouted. “This needs to stop!”

Rebecca peered around the door from the back shop and looked at her quizzically.

“Sheila, please,” she said softly. “There’s no need to get hysterical.”

“I don’t have the time to wait for this!” she almost screamed. “You have to bring the costumes to me right now! Do you hear me?”